Summaries of the Year’s Most Important Studies Affecting the Practice of Internal Medicine are Available at www.annals.org
Philadelphia, March 30, 2017 – Annals of Internal Medicine, the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians (ACP), has published summaries of the most important medical studies published in 2016 in the fields of general internal medicine, cardiology, hematology, endocrinology, gastroenterology and hepatology, rheumatology, and perioperative, pulmonary, and geriatric medicine. All articles were published within the last year in some of the world’s most prestigious medical journals. Authors in each topic area chose articles based on novelty and quality of the research, as well as potential impact on clinical practice.
Publication of the updates coincides with Internal Medicine Meeting 2017 (hashtag #IM2017) the annual scientific meeting of the ACP, taking place March 30 - April 1 in San Diego. Each “Update” includes detailed summaries of several articles pertaining to a particular subspecialty of internal medicine. Highlights from each subspecialty include:
- General Internal Medicine: An article published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that smokers who quit abruptly were more likely to quit successfully. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews published a study showing that acetaminophen did not reduce pain or disability in acute nonspecific low back pain.
- Women’s Health: An article in Annals of Internal Medicine found that low-dose aspirin is modestly beneficial for preventing cardiovascular events and colorectal cancer in high-risk women as well as men. An article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women who were vaccinated for the human papillomavirus (HPV) could extend the cervical cancer screening interval.
- Cardiology: An article published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that industry-funded research suppressed evidence of the role of sugars as a risk factor for coronary artery disease. A second article in JAMA Internal Medicine found that eating more plant protein and less animal protein was associated with less cardiovascular disease and a lower risk for death.
- Hematology and Oncology: An article in the New England Journal of Medicine found that active surveillance may be a reasonable option for many men with prostate cancer. No difference in mortality was observed at 10 years among patients undergoing active surveillance, surgery, or radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. An article in Annals of Internal Medicine found that use of an age-adjusted D-Dimer level with a low-likelihood Wells score led to an increased number of patients in whom imaging could be withheld.
- Critical Care Medicine: An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that too much oxygen could be harmful in patients with respiratory failure. An article in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine found that a continuous infusion of β-Lactam antibiotics may reduce hospital mortality in severe sepsis.
- Rheumatology: Arthritis & Rheumatology published an article suggesting that vaccination for herpes zoster may benefit patients with autoimmune conditions at younger ages than stated in current guidelines. Annals of Rheumatic the Diseases published an article that showed statin use may lower mortality risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
- Hospital Medicine: An article published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that antipsychotic medications resulted in prolonged and more severe delirium among terminally ill hospitalized patients. An article in Annals of Internal Medicine showed that hospital readmission rates decreased after federal law levied financial penalties for readmissions.
- Pulmonary Medicine: An article published in Thorax found that pulmonary rehabilitation at home was as effective as a facility-based program for patients with COPD. The home-based intervention had a lower coast and higher adherence rates. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that CPAP treatment did not prevent cardiovascular events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
About Annals of Internal Medicine
Annals of Internal Medicine is one of the most widely cited and influential medical journals in the world, with an impact factor of 16.593 -- the highest of any specialty journal in its category. Annals’ mission is to promote excellence in medicine, enable physicians and other health care professionals to be well informed members of the medical community and society, advance standards in the conduct and reporting of medical research, and contribute to improving the health of people worldwide. Established in 1927, Annals is the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians (ACP).